Rafa Benitez

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Rafa Benitez's agent is "optimistic" he will soon reach an agreement with the Serie A club for his client to remain in Naples beyond this summer.

Benitez's current deal expires at the end of this season and his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon held constructive talks in Naples on Thursday with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis over the new contract.

Rafa Benitez looks set to stay. Credit: PA

"I'm an optimist by nature," Quilon said to Italian TV channel Mediaset. "The deal will not be completed today but we will need at least four or five days.

"When there are two people at the negotiating table you can't say with any certainty that a deal will be struck. The negotiations are ongoing."

Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benitez has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the season. Credit: PA Wire

Rafael Benitez was appointed on a short-term deal in November to replace sacked Champions League-winning boss Roberto Di Matteo but was never popular with fans and results have not improved.

He said: "I have been in charge in football for 26 years. I have won the Champions League, won the FIFA Club World Cup, the FA Cup, the Italian Supper Cup, the Spanish league twice, nine trophies, all the trophies you can win at club level.

"A group of fans, they are not doing any favours for the team when they are singing and wasting time preparing banners.

"It's because someone made a mistake. They put my title (as) 'interim manager', and I will leave at the end of the season, so they don't need to waste time with me.

"They have to concentrate on supporting the team, that's what they have to do.

In the end, they are not doing any favours to the club, to the rest of the fans and to the players.

"Every game they continue singing and they continue preparing banners, they are wasting time. What they have to do is support the team.

"If we cannot achieve what we expect to achieve, that is to be in the top four and be in the Champions League for next year, I will leave; they will stay in the Europa League."